1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a supporting arrangement for a martial arts dummy that is utilized for training in the performance of martial arts movements and also for enabling one to practice martial arts movements. More particularly, the present invention relates to a martial arts dummy supporting arrangement for supporting a dummy from a vertically-extending member, such as a wall or a column, and in which the dummy is resiliently supported to enable the dummy to be moved by a user both away from and toward the user and to return to a neutral position when the user""s movement force is released.
2. Description of the Related Art
Interest in martial arts studies has been increasing over the years. In classes in which martial arts movements are taught practitioners often practice by performing the movements against each other. But when away from the class, and in the absence of another practitioner, resort is had to various devices to simulate an opponent and thereby enable practitioners to practice by themselves the movements they have learned.
One particular form of device that is utilized in practicing various arts of Kung Fu is a wooden dummy referred to either as Mook Jung, Wing Chun dummy, or Wooden Man. Such a dummy is in the form of a cylindrical, vertically-extending body that includes several outwardly-extending arms located near its upper end, and a forwardly- and downwardly-extending leg located near its lower end. Such dummies are often mounted on stands that are free standing. Some stands include a hollow base into which sand or water can be placed for ballast, to minimize tipping over of the dummy and stand when subjected to strong impacts by a practitioner. Other dummies are supported from a wall mounting structure and are slidably carried on a pair of horizontally-arranged, bars or slats that allow minimal vertical and forward and back movements of the dummy, while allowing the dummy to slide sideways along the slats in response to impacts made by the practitioner in practicing various movements.
The known support arrangements for such dummies do not allow much forward and back movements of the dummy to react to rearward or forward impacts applied to the dummy by the practitioner. Accordingly, the relatively unyielding dummy cannot suitably simulate the reactions of a human when such forward or backward movements are applied to it. It is therefore desirable to provide a mounting arrangement for martial arts dummies that enables the dummy to yield in response to a wide variety of impacts applied to it by a practitioner practicing martial arts movements.
Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a support arrangement is provided for supporting a martial arts dummy from a rigid, substantially vertically-extending surface. The dummy includes a tubular body member with a pair of axially-spaced, transversely-extending slots for receiving respective slats forming part of the support arrangement, which includes an elongated mounting bar for attachment to the substantially-vertically-extending surface. A pair of support rods are rigidly carried by the mounting bar and extend outwardly therefrom and terminate in a stop member. A slat is carried on the support rods, the slat having a pair of longitudinally-spaced openings for receiving a respective support rod and for enabling axial sliding movement of the slat along the support rods and toward and away from the mounting bar. A first biasing member is carried by each of the support rods and is positioned between the mounting bar and the slat to bear against and to bias the slat in a direction away from the mounting bar. A second biasing member is carried by each of the support rods and is positioned between the slat and the stop member carried by the support rod for bearing against and for biasing the slat in a direction toward the mounting bar and against a biasing force exerted by the first biasing member. The first and second biasing members resiliently support the slat in an intermediate position between the mounting bar and the stop members carried by the support bars.